


Wrong Place, Wrong Time

by MarikaFromCincy



Category: Call the Midwife
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-27
Updated: 2016-02-27
Packaged: 2018-05-23 11:41:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,536
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6115378
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarikaFromCincy/pseuds/MarikaFromCincy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Patsy and Delia's relationship is revealed to Nonnatus, which leads to tense arguments and much fighting.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Wrong Place, Wrong Time

**Author's Note:**

> As I said when I wrote[The Other Secret](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6093133/chapters/13966402), I have a bunch of different theories of how Nonnatus is going to find out about Patsy and Delia, which I really hope happens this season. This is my more chaotic, angst filled version.

"Are these flowers Fred actually wants here this time, sister?" Patsy asked Sister Monica Joan as she wiped her hands against each other to remove the dirt from her gardening gloves.

The sister peered over at her dramatically. "Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the seas be round, and all that is in it. Let the fields jubilant, and everything in them; let all the trees in the forest sing for joy."

Patsy sighed as the sister continued to again bury what she was sure were weeds. "Sister, Psalms 95 does not answer my question."

"Psalms 96 actually, Nurse Mount. Verse 11 and 12," Tom told her with a smile as he reached the fence.

"You should be glad she remembered them at all," Delia joked to Tom as she reached his side. 

Patsy knew she must have just gotten off her shift at The London from her sweaty and dirty looking uniform and her tired expression. 

Patsy smiled up at her. "Could you have identified it?" she questioned with a smirk.

"No," Delia replied, shifting away from Tom with a joking smile. "But I wasn't taught by Catholics and then went to live in a nunnery for nearly two years."

"But nearly two months, Nurse Busby," Sister Monica Joan added pointing at her with a small shovel. "But like all the young nurses you find the church teaching superfluous and a matter of mockery."

Everyone peered at her nervously for a moment. Patsy clenched her jaw in exaggerated worry at Delia, who was giving her nearly the same look. 

Tom exhaled uncomfortably. "Do either of you know if Barbara is home?" he asked.

Patsy shook her head as she finished planting the last of the vegetable seeds. "She went out for a delivery about half an hour ago," Patsy told him. 

"She does have the evening off though?" he asked.

"She does," Patsy told him with a nod.

"Excellent," he stated. "Could you tell her I came calling when she gets back."

"Of course," Patsy replied.

Tom nodded and walked over to his flat. Delia watched him walk away and then peered over at Patsy with a smirk.

"And what of you, Nurse Mount? Is your evening free?" Delia asked in nearly the same tone Tom had used.

Patsy suppressed a laugh. "I believe so, Nurse Busby. I am not expecting any gentlemen callers."

Delia snickered at her.

"Beauty, fair flower, upon the surface lies. But worth the beauty e'en in aspects vies," Sister Monica Joan stated to her flowers.

Delia raised an eyebrow at Patsy, who shrugged. 

A few hours later, Patsy had showered and was wearing her robe as she stared unsurely at the dresses in her closest. 

"Please make a decision, sweetie," Trixie replied as she watched her through the mirror she was using to apply her eye makeup. "I am about to break out from your stress."

Patsy looked over her shoulder and gave her a half smile. "Sorry," she told her as she seized a green dress and carried it over to her bed. "My decision is made."

"What has you so anxious about tonight anyway? Are you doing something terribly exciting while I am stuck on duty with Sister Winifred?"

Patsy held in a smile. "No," she told her. "Delia and I are just going to the pictures."

"Well, you will certainly have more fun than me," Trixie stated as she grabbed her hat from her bedpost and headed downstairs. 

Patsy was heading down the darkened streets of Poplar with Delia hours later. They had seen another film Delia had been overly excited about. Patsy wasn't even sure how she had the time to learn everything she had about so many films. 

She had relayed fact after fact to Patsy when they went to the coffee bar afterwards. Patsy just grinned at her over her tea. They walked slowly through the streets toward Nonnatus.

"How long did we have that flat?" Delia asked as they neared home.

"About a day or so," Patsy replied.  
She knew Delia was still having trouble remembering details about what happened just before her accident. 

"That was it?" she asked as she pushed the main door of Nonnatus open and held it for Patsy.

She nodded down at her, with a look of sad remembrance. 

"So, we never got a chance to..." Delia trailed off as she pushed Patsy against the wall in the darkened foyer.

"What are you doing?" Patsy asked trying to sound scolding but it come out more excited.

She peered anxiously down the hallway. Every light looked off and it was late enough for everyone to be asleep.

Delia ran her hands up Patsy's arms and held her shoulders for a moment before running one hand up to the back of her neck and pulling her toward her. The thought of resisting flashed in Patsy mind for no more than a second. She had been dealing with so much of Barbara and Tom's relationship, the lingering feelings between Trixie and Tom and the almost unfair simplicity of Fred and Violet's quick marriage. 

She just wanted to be like everyone else. So she kissed her girlfriend passionately and pulled her even closer. She could feel her chest raise and fall against hers and the strain in her muscles as she stretched to match Patsy's height. 

"Oh!" Sister Winifred exclaimed.

"Oh my," Trixie blurted as the two of the come around main door, home from their late night delivery. 

Patsy pushed Delia away as she quickly jumped back. She collided with the table against the other wall. She turned and tried to catch the tumbling vase of flowers. It hit the ground with a loud crash that echoed through the house.

The four of them stood there in the tense silence that followed for a moment. 

Patsy was panting heavily and nervously when she met Trixie's shocked eyes through the darkness. 

Patsy swallowed nervously and hung her head to avoid Trixie. That was when she noticed that Sister Winifred was saying a Hail Mary and crossing herself.

"If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them," Sister Winifred recited at them. 

Trixie sighed loudly. Patsy inhaled a shaking breath as she started to cry.

Delia scoffed at her angrily. "Thanks, sister but I don't see any men here."

Sister Winifred peered at her appalled for a moment, then crossed herself again and headed down the hall. 

Trixie quickly glanced at Delia before turning back to Patsy. She nodded at the crying redhead. 

Trixie hurried through the hall after the sister. 

"Sister," Trixie called after her. She found her in the room near the phone cleaning her equipment. 

"That was a sin we just witnessed, Nurse Franklin. By the rules of Nonnatus House, we are obligated to report it," she replied barely looking up from the sink.

Trixie huffed as she placed her bag on the counter. "You need not remind me of the rules of Nonnatus, sister. I have lived here much longer than you and I know the rules."

"But it is not only the rules that have been broken it is also the word of The Lord," the sister told her loudly.

Trixie heard a pained groan and Welsh accented words of comfort come from the hallway behind her. She figured they were close behind.

Trixie huffed. "We are not nuns. We have not taken any oath except to help the people of Poplar, as the both of them have for longer and better than you," she hissed at her angrily. 

Trixie peered over her shoulder when she heard a nervous exhale.

"Sisters," Trixie heard Delia exclaim.

Trixie quickly glared in Sister Winifred's directions. She peered at her blankly as Sister Julienne, Sister Mary Cynthia and Barbara filed into the room.

"Sister, Nurse Franklin?" Sister Julienne asked, looking between them. "Is everything in order? We heard a crash and shouting from upstairs."

"Everything is fine, Sister Julienne," Trixie stated quickly and continued to glare at Sister Winifred.

Sister Julienne peered at her uncertainly. 

"Sister?" the elder nun asked the younger.

"No, sister," Sister Winifred stated giving an angry look toward Trixie. "Some here are utterly out of line."

"You bloody b--" Trixie began angrily.

"Trixie!" Sister Mary Cynthia called, able to instantly stop her. 

"Nurse Franklin?" Sister Juilenne asked her.

"I apologize, sister. I am currently not in a state to handle this," she explained, giving an angry look told the younger sister.

Trixie turned and quickly stormed out of the room. She rushed past Barbara, who was giving her a confused looked. She reached for two hands when she reached the hallway and both of her friends allowed her to pull them up the stairs and into her room. She forced them inside and shut the door.

Trixie hung back for a moment as Patsy placed her hands on her ribs and exhaled multiple times. 

"Calm down, Pats," Delia told her carefully as she tried to stop her from pacing. 

"How can I, Delia?" Patsy asked her nervously. "How can you be? She is going to wreck everything for us."

Delia shifted awkwardly and shoved her hands into her sweater pockets. 

"No, sweetie," Trixie stated simply as she walked over to them.

Patsy peered at her looking as if she wanted to add something but was too close to tears to formulate anything of merit.

"Trixie...I," Patsy was barely able to say.

Trixie placed her hands on her shoulders and peered up at her. "Sweetie, stop being scared. You never had a reason to be. Not with me anyway. And that goes for the both of you," she added with a glance told Delia.

"But, Sister Winifred?" Patsy asked tearfully. 

Delia huffed beside them and sat on the edge of Patsy's bed. "She has to be downstairs telling Sister Julienne everything right now."

Trixie nudged Patsy to sit beside Delia. She obeyed and Trixie sat on the edge of her bed. 

"You are probably right," Trixie stated.

"What are we to do then?" Patsy asked desperately. 

"Wait for everything to explode in our faces?" Delia stated sadly.

"That will not happen. It can't. I will not let it. Not in Nonnatus, at least," Trixie stated seriously.

\---

Patsy was good at keeping up a fake cheery facade even when everything was truly terrible. She had when she thought she lost Delia forever and she had when she had dealt with a typhoid case a few weeks ago. She figured her facade was working on the general public of Poplar but the Turners knew her too well at this point. 

Just as she, Delia and Trixie had expected Sister Winifred had told Sister Julienne what she had seen. They were being monitored for "unholy conduct", whatever that meant. As part of Sister Julienne's effort to keep Pasty and Delia separated, Pasty had been sent to assist the Turners at the surgery. It was flu season and they had been incredibly busy. 

Pasty would have been more annoyed with the arrangement if Sister Mary Cynthia, who told Trixie, who told her and Delia that the separation had been the Mother house's idea, not Sister Julienne's. 

"Diagnosis, Nurse Mount?" Dr. Turner asked as he walked into the examination room that held the last patient of the night. 

"Fever, runny nose and a headache, doctor," Patsy told him. "I would say Kenneth here simply has the flu."

Kenneth sniffed and groaned. As his father sighed in relief beside him. 

"That it?" he questioned.

Patsy smiled at him. "It is, sir."

He exhaled and smiled. "Thank the bloody lord, his mum ain't going to kill me when she gets back from Wales."

"I do always find Welshwomen very stern," Dr. Turner told him as he shot a smirk in Patsy's direction.

She scoffed at him with her mouth agape. 

"Aye, doc. She is. But she's Scottish. Her cousin just lives in Wales now," he explained.

"Ha," Patsy shot at Dr. Turner under her breath with a pleased smile. 

He grinned and looked away from her to focus. He torn off the piece of paper from the prescription pad. "Get this filled in the morning and the two of you should be just fine by the time your wife returns, Mr. Meyer."

"Thank you," he told them.

They walked out into the main area of the surgery in silence. Patsy felt awkward for a moment. Dr. Turner wasn't treating her any differently than he had before. It was almost the exact opposite of being at Nonnatus. Trixie was being so vocally supportive, it was making Patsy constantly blush with embarrassment. She appreciated it, of course. But sometimes she wished she and by proxy Barbara and Sister Mary Cynthia would just treat her as they always had, like Nurse Crane, Sister Monica Joan and all four of the Turners were.

"Kenneth has the flu," Timothy said without looking up from his homework, which he was doing seated on the floor beside Angela, who was trying to balance a toy sheep on his head. It tumbled off and she laughed as she picked it up and tried to put it back.

"Your commentary will not be valid until you are actually a doctor, Timothy," Shelagh replied as she peered up from the desk. 

"But I'm right, aren't I?" he asked.

"You are," his father replied.

"I told you," he said to his mother.

She scoffed. "I never said you weren't."

"Well, I should be getting back to Nonnatus," Pasty stated. 

"Oh Patrick, did you forget to tell her?" Shelagh asked. 

He shrugged. "Afraid so."

"Tell me what?" Patsy asked nervously.

"They want to invite you and Nurse Busby to dinner tonight," Timothy told her as he smiled at Angela, who clapped because the sheep had stayed on his head. 

Patsy tensed for a moment and couldn't think of anything to say. Shelagh stepped in front of her and placed her hands on her wrists in reassurance.

"Believe me, Nurse Mount," she started with a grin. "I know how hard living at Nonnatus can be sometimes. We would just like to give you a break."

Patsy fidgeted uncomfortably. "We aren't supposed to be spending time together."

"Well, I am not going to advocate lying to Sister Julienne but...," Shelagh stated.

"But, if you must," Dr. Turner stated. 

"Dad?" Timothy asked with a hint of shook. "You are for lying to nuns?"

Patsy gave a small laugh as she nodded to them. "We will be there. Thank you."

Once Pasty returned to Nonnatus, she went to Delia's door. She knocked but there was no answer.

"Delia?" she called as she opened the door. The room was empty. She exhaled disappointedly and headed for her own room. Maybe Delia had been kept late at The London.

"No!" Trixie exclaimed shocked as Patsy opened her door. "It cannot be that long."

Patsy stepped into the room and saw Delia laughing on the bed. "That is the truth."

Delia saw her and smiled up at her. She motioned from Patsy to Trixie. "Ask her if you don't believe me," Delia instructed.

Trixie turned around to face Patsy. "When did the two of you start dating?"

Patsy huffed comfortably and shrugged. "Since before we met," she admitted.

"My god," Trixie exclaimed as she took a puff from her cigarette. "You said Tom lacked things. You told Cynthia a man wasn't everything. You stood up for Mr. Amos and asked me about supporting the queers. And you were so distraught after the accident."

"Jesus, Pats," Delia said mid laugh. "And you said I wasn't being subtle."

Trixie glared at her. "Now that isn't fair, Delia. We have shared a room for a rather long time and you did almost die."

Patsy smiled as she sat on Trixie's bed beside her. Trixie put an arm around her and kissed her on the cheek. "She has done incredibly well," Trixie said with a joking tone and a wide smile. 

"I am not sure about that, but I did get us a dinner invite," Patsy said to Delia.

"Really?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

"The Turners want to give us a break from Nonnatus."

Delia have a small laugh. "Well, I agree. Tonight?"

Patsy nodded. 

"Well good," Delia replied. "I think we could us it."

That night Trixie was incredibly glad Pasty and Delia were out at the Turners. It was an incredibly slow night and nearly everyone else was gathered in the kitchen and living room, just waiting for the phone to ring. 

Trixie was sitting beside Sister Mary Cynthia at the table as they sewed special baby clothes. They had an abundance of baby girl clothes made special for babies without full limbs like Susan Mullocks but a boy had been born in a similar condition recently. Sister Mary Cynthia wanted to be prepared in case another one was born and Trixie knew her well enough to understand her real reasoning and offered to help without hesitation. 

Barbara walked into the kitchen in search of tea. She had been the only person called out in nearly four hours. She frowned disappointedly to see the kettle wasn't already on the stove. She filled it and placed it on the burner.

"Is Delia working tonight?" Barbara asked. 

Trixie shook her head. "The Turners invited her and Patsy to dinner."

"Oh," Barbara replied, sounding pleased. "That was nice of them."

"Indeed," Nurse Crane added from the couch.

"I said go and be happy but remember you know well whom you leave shackled by love," Sister Monica Joan stated with a brief glance to Trixie to before returning her attention to whatever everyone was being forced to watch. 

Trixie scoffed in reply. "Precisely, sister."

Trixie heard Sister Winifred exhale uncomfortably and that was almost enough to send Trixie charging at her. But Sister Mary Cynthia placed at hand on her wrist and shook her head at her sternly. Trixie exhaled annoyed but nodded in reply. Her best friend had always been good at stopping her from doing something stupid. 

"Your scoff and grumbles are against the word of god, sister. You must love all god's creatures equally," Sister Monica Joan told her. 

"But the bible says--" Sister Winifred stated.

The elder sister cut her off. "A lot of things we do not follow anymore because they are not logical. If a man sells his daughter as a servant she is not to go free as males servants do."

"That is an unfair argument, using an over looked portion of the Lord's word," Sister Winifred told them.

Trixie stood angrily, lightly shoving Sister Mary Cynthia's protesting hand away. 

"I could say that about every section you are using against them," Trixie nearly yelled at her as she got closer to her. 

The sister stood from her chair in the living room. "Their actions are sin."

Trixie huffed down at her. She never even took note of their height difference until that moment. "Actions that only you and I have seen," she nearly yelled. "They aren't being explicit or scandalous or anything like that...they are just--" Trixie started to choke on her emotions and turned away from the sister.

"They are just showing their love for each other. And isn't your god all about loving everyone, including your sinners," Nurse Crane added sternly. 

"But this is not the place for that," Sister Winifred replied.

Trixie turned to face her again. 

"Um, Trixie?" Barbara called awkwardly but Trixie ignored her. 

"Then where? This is their home. And it should matter not to you or to any of us what happens when we are not looking," Trixie told her forcefully. 

"Some may see but in speaking words they will refrain," Sister Monica Joan added peering past them to the doorway. 

Trixie followed her eyes and sighed as she saw Patsy and Delia standing there in stunned silence. Trixie couldn't read Delia's expression but Patsy looked like she was holding back tears again. 

"What on Earth has gotten into you lot?" Sister Evangenlia questioned as she come down the hall behind Sister Julienne.

Patsy jumped and moved out of the way. Delia took a step in the other direction. 

"So, it was the two of you again?" Sister Evangenlia stated as she nodded toward Trixie and Sister Winifred. "I have half the mind to ring both your necks just to stop the shouting."

Sister Julienne shot a disappointed look at her.

"Well something has to be done," Sister Evangenlia replied.

"I agree," Sister Julienne stated with a nod. "Nurse Franklin, Sister Winifred would you both come with me to my office?"

"Of course, sister, " Sister Winifred instantly replied. 

Trixie was about to demand they have the conversation then and there so she had the support of the others behind her. But she saw Patsy peering blankly at the ground and Delia reach for her hand for a moment but then decide against it. Trixie sighed to herself.

"Yes, sister," Trixie replied as she followed them. 

Patsy sat on her bed trying to calm herself down but she couldn't do it knowing what was happening downstairs in Sister Julienne's office. She huffed to herself, got up and went down the hall. 

She knocked on Delia's door. After a moment it opened. 

"You're not who I expected," Delia smiled at Patsy, in her flannel pajamas. 

"I couldn't bare it," Patsy said walking past her and sitting on the bed.

Delia shoved the door shut.

"Sitting around, just waiting to see if we get called down next?" Delia questioned as she sat beside her.

Patsy groaned. "I hadn't even thought of that."

"Sorry," Delia replied with a small smile as she grabbed her hand. 

Patsy sadly smiled at her. They peered at each other for a moment and then Patsy leaned in and kissed her. She pulled away but stated close to her.

"I think you were right," Patsy told her.

"About what?" Delia asked quietly.

"We are just waiting for everything to explode around us."

Delia exhaled slowly and Patsy drew closer to her. 

"Well let's make the most of it then," Delia told her.

Patsy gave a small nod before she kissed her again. She pulled Delia as close to her as she could. Delia forced them down onto the bed. She started for the buttons of Patsy's top without breaking from her lips.

The next morning, Sister Julienne headed for the kitchen to refill her tea. She had been up half the night, spending much of it in the chapel trying to decide what should be done about the problem that was causing a rift in her team.

She stopped just outside the kitchen. 

"Has it vanished?" Sister Monica Joan asked as Patsy reached for one of the highest shelves and pulled something down.

Patsy smirked in reply to Sister Monica Joan as she pulled the lid off the tin the Turners had given her to bring the extra cake home.

"Of course not, sister," Patsy replied as she showed her.

"She's the only one who can reach that shelf," Delia stated as she started pouring hot water into the teacups she had lined up on the counter. 

"Patsy, are you nearly ready?" Trixie asked as she walked through carrying her bag. "We said we were going to get a jump start on the district roster."

Patsy quickly placed the cake tin on the table. "Yes, of course," she replied trying sound like she hadn't forgotten. "So, we are finished early enough for your Keep Fit class. I'll be ready in a minute," she said as she rushed off to get her bag. 

Trixie huffed as she sat at the table. "She forgot, didn't she?"

"She must have been distracted," Delia replied smirking to herself. 

"You will be attending, Delia?" Trixie asked.

"I'm working," Delia told her shaking her head. 

"I will attend," Sister Monica Joan replied as she looked up from her cake. "I quite enjoyed it last time."

"Excellent," Trixie replied. 

Delia turned away from the counter when Patsy rushed back in. Trixie got up from the table and walked out with her. 

"Would you like some tea, Sister Julienne?" Delia asked, pointing to the empty cup in her hand.

Sister Julienne held it up and peered at it for a moment. She had forgotten about it and smiled to herself, realizing she got more answers from watching a simple exchange in the kitchen than she had from hours in the chapel.

"Yes," she replied. "Thank you, Nurse Busby."

Delia was sitting on the steps near the front door still in her uniform when Trixie, Pasty and Sister Monica Joan returned from Keep Fit.

"Delia, is everything all right?" Trixie asked concerned.

Delia looked up and saw Patsy shake slightly in her black leotard with a green sweater. Delia had to remind herself to pay attention.

"Yes," she told Trixie. "It's just, Sister Juilenne needs to speak with me and Patsy in her office."

"Oh," Trixie huffed concerned. 

Patsy kept her head down as she walked away from them and toward Delia. They stood silently outside of Sister Julienne's office for a moment. They held each other's hands for a moment and then slowly let go. Delia knocked.

Patsy hated sitting in the chair in front of Sister Julienne's desk. She was staring at her knees because she was too afraid to look up at the sister and didn't trust herself to look at Delia without giving something away.

"I am not sure what to say to the pair of you," Sister Julienne began. "We have been having a problem at Nonnatus but strangely not from either of you."

Patsy peered up at her uncertainly. 

"But..." Delia blurted, but wasn't sure how to continue.

"Our problem is differing ideologies and I think it would be unfair to punish the two of you for that," Sister Juilenne told them.

"We are not being made to leave?" Patsy asked.

"No, Nurse Mount," she replied. "I am afraid that would only cause more of a problem for Nonnatus and for the both of you."

Patsy sighed in relief. "Thank you, sister."

"I will ask the two of you to be cautious and there are rules about courting you must follow," the sister stated.

"Of course, sister," Patsy replied. 

She smiled and said they could go. 

Delia laughed when they reached the hallway. "Well that was unexpected."

Patsy grinned at her. "Certainly."

They stood their unsure what to do for a moment but then Trixie popped around the corner. 

"I thought I heard you out here," she rushed over to them, sounding concerned. "Well?" she asked after they were silent for a moment.

"Do you know what the courting rules are?" Delia asked seriously.

Patsy broke into laughter beside her. "We are staying, but we have to follow the courting rules," she explained in response to Trixie's dumbfounded expression.

Trixie smiled at her pleased. "Well come on then," she told them as she pulled them toward the kitchen. " Barbara and I can explain them to you."


End file.
